THE BURROW
by mur xo
Summary: New one-shot up! "Of course, Ron was her favorite brother, even though she would never admit it. "
1. Stupid Girls

**Disclaimer:** I still don't own a thing. I don't own the the characters, the plot, or the magic. If I had a mind as creative as that then I wouldn't be wasting my time writing fanfictions. Although, I _do_ wish I owned Bill Weasley. Yum.

**Author's Note: **What plot? Well, yes, it is rather plot-less. Please forgive that. It is, however, full of Weasley fluff. And we _all_ love those Weasleys. I've decided on writing a series of one-shots rather than a bunch of stand alones. It's much easier this way. I intend on hitting a bit of each character as the one-shots progress. However, most of them will be focused on the Weasleys, both new and old. If you have an idea for a fic that you've always wanted to see, please let me know. I _might_ just write it for you. With a dedication and all. : ) Haha. If not, I'll continue pulling fluffy goodness out of me until I'm fresh out. Don't be afraid to request a fic, my dears. I don't bite. Really. Now on with the show!

* * *

**Stupid Girls**

_"Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one."_

Ginevra Molly Weasley was _not_ a _girl._ No, she most certainly was not.

It all started on a rather bleak afternoon in the middle of August. The sun was hiding behind scattered clouds in the gray sky, threatening rain any moment. The unusual England weather made the normally warm temperature bitter. Wind brushed through the air turning over everything in its path. Leaves turned inside out; a clear warning that a storm was well on its way. Under the current weather conditions, it wasn't a good idea for children to play outside.

At their mother's stern warning, the Weasley children were sentenced to a day of house arrest. Fred and George were forbidden to play with their beloved Quaffle. Ron was stuck inside the house with Percy, once again attempting to learn how to play chess at his older brother's persuasion. Ginny couldn't go out and watch the twins ride on their brooms with the utmost fascination. For the Weasley children, bad weather was a death sentence. With seven children cooped up in tight quarters, it was inevitable that annoyance and frustration would run high.

Molly Weasley wasn't keen on leaving her children alone for the day, especially since the weather was so miserable. She did, however, have important errands to run. With her daughter's sixth birthday rapidly approaching, Molly had last minute preparations to make sure this year's celebration ran smoothly. The only slight problem was leaving the children in her seventeen year old son's hands.

It wasn't that Molly deemed him incapable of such a task. That wasn't the problem at all. Bill Weasley, as prefect and Head Boy, had already proven himself worthy of such a daunting assignment. Her children just tended to be a right handful when they wanted to be. Molly wasn't sure if Bill, even with Charlie's help, could manage the twins. Those two were enough to tire all of London, never mind two measly teenaged boys. Molly, of course, loved her little troublemakers, no matter how much of a hassle they could be at times. But leaving them, with strict instructions to remain inside, in Bill and Charlie's hands, seemed almost cruel.

However, a mother had to do what she had to do. Ginny's sixth birthday was important to Molly. It meant her baby was growing up. Molly Weasley was determined to throw Ginny a nice party. No child of hers was going to go without one, even if it did mean coming home to a destroyed house.

With much hesitation, Molly instructed her oldest sons to watch over the younger ones while she shopped around for a bit. Her rushed promises of being home in an hour or two were silenced by Bill's reassurances. Bill had, on multiple occasions, babysat for his siblings before. Being the eldest it was nearly impossible to avoid watching them. Besides, Bill never actually _minded_ his duties as big brother. Attending Hogwarts meant that he saw less and less of his family. If babysitting meant reconnecting with his siblings then he would gladly do it.

In stark contrast to his brother's delight, Charlie was anything but thrilled. He had learned from much experience that the twins never made for an easy time when their parents were out. Grudgingly, Charlie had agreed to help Bill watch them as long as his mother _promised_ that she would only be out for a couple of hours. Anymore than that and poor Molly might come home to two less sons. Charlie was sure his temper, while already slightly frayed, would be gone by then. The twins best not cross his path.

"Now boys, make sure everyone stays inside. _Especially_ Fred and George." Molly repeated, causing an eye roll from Charlie and a quick nod from Bill. "And if anyone comes to the house, don't you open the door."

"Mum, we've done this before!" Charlie flung his hands up in the air, a hint of exasperation in the gesture.

"Yes, well…" Molly wrung her hands together for a bit, looking apprehensive about her trip to Diagon Alley.

"It'll be fine." Bill said with a smile, picking up the bag of floo powder for her. "You go and get what you need."

"Well then, I better get going if I want to beat the storm." Molly pulled her worn cloak tightly around her plump frame before she picked up a gracious amount of chalk-white powder and stepped into the fireplace. With a small smile for her sons, Molly closed her eyes, dropped the powder, and vanished along with her words of 'Diagon Alley'.

As soon as the dust had settled back in the fireplace, Charlie let out a sigh of relief. "Bloody hell, I thought she was never going to leave." He ran one of his freckled hands over his face and plopped himself down onto the unoccupied sofa. He was already weary just thinking about watching the twins. His brown eyes closed as he pressed his fingers into them.

"Ah, c'mon, Charlie. It won't be that bad." The words that were meant for encouragement earned Bill an incredulous glare from his brother.

"Maybe you've forgotten what the lot of them are like while you've been at Hogwarts, but I bloody well haven't!" Charlie's voice raised a bit in octave as he stared at Bill with bewilderment. It was impossible to forget the crazy pranks the twins pulled on Percy. It was impossible to forget Ron's bickering with the twins. It was impossible to forget Ginny's needy demands. It was _impossible_ to forget what babysitting his precious siblings was really like.

Bill laughed a bit and shrugged his shoulders, taking a seat next to Charlie on the sofa. Perhaps he had forgotten how difficult it was to spend a day with Percy, the twins, Ron and Ginny. But if he could keep a whole castle, with the most obnoxious of students, in line, then surely watching them would be a piece of cake.

"See, this isn't so bad." Bill commented, his voice breaking the silence ringing through the Burrow.

"It's quiet. Too quiet." Charlie raised his eyebrow suspiciously, his head tilting to look up at the ceiling. Squinting his eyes, he darted them from one side to the other, as if he could see through the rafters. "They're up to something." There was no doubt in Charlie Weasley's mind that the twins had thought up a prank and persuaded Ron and Ginny to go along with it.

Bill shook his head and leaned back onto the sofa, relaxing under the shabby brown cushions. "If you say so." He muttered lazily. Bill, for one, planned to milk the silence for all it was worth. If the younger ones were planning something, so be it, as long as peace remained in the house. Charlie merely huffed in agitation at his brother's unwillingness to put an end to whatever was going on upstairs. He was about to protest, to _demand_ that Bill go up there and make sure Fred and George hadn't done something absolutely disastrous when a shrill cry beat him to it.

"Bill! Bill!" The young voice of Bill's youngest brother cut through the air shrilly, carrying panic and fear.

At the sound, Charlie stood up and pointed his finger at the slightly older boy. "I _told_ you. I _told_ you!" He crowed angrily, shaking his head back and forth as Bill stood up. "You can't leave them alone for more than two minutes!"

Bill glanced at his brother, silently telling him that was enough. He went to the narrow staircase and took the stairs two at a time. Charlie followed behind him, a bit more subdued than moments before, but with irritation written all over his face. As they neared the second landing, Bill ruffled his slightly unkempt red hair, preparing himself for whatever horror he was about to face. He took one last deep breath before turning the knob on the door to the twin's room slightly.

As the opened door revealed the scene before him, Bill groaned inwardly. Fred and George stood there, a squirming eight-legged insect in each of their hands, dangling it in Ron's face. Ron was well backed up into the corner of the room, his small body shaking, attempting to avoid the twins. Ginny, on the other hand, looked positively furious. Her small hands were clenched into tiny fists by her side and her face was a violent shade of red. Percy sat, without much recognition of what was going on around him, with his nose in a book on Fred's bed.

"Look at that George! Ickle Ronniekins is afraid of a spider!" At the remark, George laughed, nudging his counterpart good-naturedly in the ribs.

"What a baby! Why, Fred, Ron is nothing more than a _girl_!" Fred snickered at the comment and swung his spider by one leg dangerously close to Ron, who cowered even more into the corner, kicking his legs at his brothers.

"Stop it!" Ron screamed as Ginny gathered herself to her full height.

"_I'm_ a _girl_!" Ginny screeched, stomping her foot madly. "What's wrong with _girls_?!" She huffed, glowering at her twin brothers.

Bill entered the room and walked over to the twins, Charlie close behind him. Shaking his head, Bill grabbed the spider out of Fred's hands while Charlie did the same with the offending object clutched by George.

"If you can't play nicely with each other then go to your own rooms." Bill said sternly, glaring at Fred and George.

"We _are_ in our own room. It's not _our_ fault they're too dumb to leave." Fred crossed his arms over his chest and leveled Bill's glare.

Making sure he was out of any spider's way, Ron slowly made his way out of the corner into the center of the room. His once petrified expression turned into one of rage. With a finger pointed at Fred, Ron prodded his chest over and over again. "You…You… Prat!" Ron sputtered, his finger pokes turning into pushes. George tried to join in as well in a desperate attempt to aid his twin. Quickly, Ron redirected his anger, so it was on George instead of Fred. "You stupid…" Ron was so flushed with fury that coherent words couldn't make their way out of his mouth. The seven year old, instead, became intent on alternately punching the twins as Fred and George pushed him away from them.

Before it turned into a Weasley war, Bill pried Ron off of the twins, scolding him gently.

"Ron, you don't punch people." He said, although his heart wasn't really in it. It was a known fact in the Weasley house that Ron was afraid of spiders. Bill never teased him because of it. Neither did _most_ of the other Weasley children. Everyone had their own fears, including Bill himself. If someone had been taunting him with the one thing he was terrified of, Bill would have beaten them to a bloody pulp. But as a big brother, Bill couldn't condone fighting. If his mother found out their had been a fight and Bill hadn't handed out any punishments, Bill would face Molly Weasley's rage. No Weasley wanted to be on the receiving end of _that_.

Charlie, who had relieved Bill of his spider during the fight, left the room with a small snicker. Charlie was happy that his mother hadn't left _him_ in charge. No, Charlie would have hexed the lot of them by now. He wasn't normally so quick-tempered. Bad weather seemed to have that effect on him. Along with the sky, Charlie's mood always darkened when a storm was near. Normally, Charlie had an unlimited amount of patience to deal with things. He just didn't when there was an impending storm.

So Bill was left to deal with Ron, Fred and George by himself. A fraction of him was glad that he didn't have to worry about Charlie upsetting them further. However, Bill hated to be the bad guy. Because he was so much older than the rest of the Weasley clan, he often had to discipline his siblings. The last thing Bill wanted was for his brothers to hate him because he had to lay down the rules.

Sighing heavily, Bill ran his tongue along his lower lip, an unconscious gesture he made when he was deep in thought. The younger Weasleys stood silently; Ron and Ginny glaring at the twins, the twins glaring at Ron, and Percy who had closed his book and was looking at the scene with amused interest.

"Alright." Bill declared suddenly looking at Ron, Fred and George. "You're all going to play downstairs where I can keep an eye on you. Any more arguments and the lot of you will be sent to your rooms. Understand?"

Fred and George wore matching grins as they nodded their heads. It made Bill's stomach churn, watching the two mirror each other's facial expression. Bill moved to the door and opened it wider, extending his arm outside the door frame. "Well then, go on." Bill moved his arm a bit to hurry the parade of red hair and freckles. He closed the door behind him after Ginny left the room, mumbling under her breath.

"A girl. Hmph." Bill heard her say, as he followed the five red heads down the stairs.

As soon as Charlie say them all he rolled his eyes. He wondered what, exactly, went through Bill's mind when he decided to bring them all traipsing down into their living room. Upstairs, at least, there were things for them to do. The homey decorations in the sitting room weren't for entertaining purposes. They were a collection of knick-knacks bought by their mother over many years. Besides, the room wasn't large. It would nearly combust with all seven of the Weasley children occupying it.

Quirking an eyebrow in Bill's direction, he let his eyes wander over all of the younger Weasleys. The only two that seemed to be upset were Ron and Ginny. Why Ginny, Charlie didn't know. In fact, he probably didn't _want_ to know. Girls were so bloody sensitive. Ron looked absolutely miserable as his freckles were all but hidden under the red angry blush on his face. Thankfully, the sulk didn't last long, as Percy grabbed his younger brother's arm.

"Let's play a game of Wizard's chess." He said quickly, dragging the seven year old over to the old chess set in the corner of the room with a bit of excitement. Ron hadn't had much of a choice in the matter. Surprisingly, he actually _enjoyed_ playing chess. It was a shame that Percy was the only other Weasley in the house who was decent at playing it as well.

That, of course, left Ginny and the twins. Charlie grumbled under his breath as Bill felt compelled to lead Ginny into the kitchen for a snack. Now it was just him and the spawns of Satan. Brilliant. Walking over to the two, Charlie placed an arm around each of them. "Care for a game of Quidditch?" He asked with a smirk, gently pushing the two boys ahead of him and out the back door. If his Mum came home, she would murder them. But if she didn't come home, the _twins_ would murder _him_. The only simple solution to the mess was allowing them to go outside. Yes, it was only _logical_, of course.

In the distance, low rumbles of thunder could be heard. The wind was picking up and the air smelled heavily of unshed rain. The moment Charlie stepped outside, he wondered if he should just herd the twins back in. Instead, he thought of a better idea. The shed contained all of the amateur Quidditch supplies Bill had gotten for his eighth birthday. While it wasn't the ideal place for playing Quidditch, it would make due for beating a Quaffle around. It would also prevent the trio from getting soaked. So, instead of mounting brooms to play Quidditch in their spacious backyard, Charlie shooed the boys into the shed for a nice game of catch.

Inside the house, the sounds of nearing thunder didn't go unnoticed. Sitting at the long wooden table with a cookie in her hand, Ginny shivered involuntarily at the sound. It went unnoticed, however, as Bill poured his sister a goblet of pumpkin juice. As he placed the drink in front of her, he took the seat opposite her. Ginny's hands gripped the goblet and she drank feverishly. Breaking off small pieces of her cookie, she placed them in her mouth, one by one.

Bill watched her with a bit of amusement. He hadn't really spent a lot of time with his sister, since he had already started Hogwarts when she had been born. When he had first seen her, she was no different than any other baby. But now, now his _baby_ sister was turning into a little person. Ginny noticed Bill's eyes on her, and she politely broke off another piece of cookie. Taking it in her hand, she extended it towards Bill. "Want some?" She asked, grinning madly at him.

Looking into her chestnut eyes, Bill didn't have the heart to say no. He nodded eagerly, taking the cookie bit in his own hand and popping it into his mouth. "Thanks." He replied with a small wink, eliciting a giggle from the young girl.

It was then that Bill really appreciated having a sister. Yes, his brothers were alright and he _did_ love them, no matter how much grief they gave him. But Ginevra Weasley was sweet and caring, much different than fiery Ron and the mischievous twins. She was like a breath of fresh air after having to break up the twin's prank.

A loud crack of thunder pulled Bill out of his thoughts. Ginny jumped and her goblet fell from her hand, falling onto the wooden table. Bill smiled at her and grabbed the goblet. Quickly he rinsed it and placed it carefully back onto its proper shelf. If it was out of place, Molly would have been beside herself.

Turning his attention back to Ginny, he extended his hand towards her. She grabbed onto it tightly, following him back into the living room. Bill looked around and was more than pleased to see that Ron and Percy were far too engaged in the game to complain about the weather. As the soft patter of rain picked up into a harsh beating pattern, Bill contemplated whether or not he should get the twins and Charlie. He decided against it. Forcing them to come back into the house would only get the twins upset. That was the _last_ thing Bill wanted. So far, things had been mildly calm for an afternoon at the Burrow.

Lightning illuminated the house, reflecting in Ginny's wide eyes. She had never been one to enjoy thunderstorms. Usually when it stormed her mother would bring her into their room and calm her down. But her mother wasn't home and Ginny didn't want Bill to know she was a _girl_. If Ron was afraid of spiders and George called him a _girl_, then being one wasn't such a good thing. Ginny didn't want to be a _girl_.

The next bang of thunder proved to be louder than the first. Ginny's short fingernails dug into her brother's arm as her eyes snapped shut. Her small body trembled and tears prickled behind her closed eyelids. There was no real reason for her to hate thunder. It was the noise she didn't like. Ginny was a brave girl. She wasn't afraid of insects. She wasn't afraid of her twin brother's pranks. She wasn't afraid to combat her mother's rage with one of her own. But Ginny _was_ afraid of thunderstorms.

Feeling his sister's nails bite into his skin, Bill looked down at her, a bit startled. He kneeled down to her level and attempted to pull her into a hug as lightening once again lit the sky. Ginny's body went rigid as her older brother's arms wove around her and she pulled away from him. A stream of steady tears ran down her milky white cheeks.

"No!" She said stubbornly, crossing her arms across her chest and pouting.

"Gin-Gin." Bill said soothingly, looking at her with a look of confusion.

"I'm not a _girl_!" She said loudly, causing Percy and Ron to momentarily forget about their chess game.

"Uh…"

Before Bill could interrupt, Ginny shook her head back and forth with a degree of fierceness he had never seen in his sister before.

"I'm not afraid. I'm not a _girl_."

Bill clearly wasn't following, as his brow knit together and he scratched the small stubble under his chin. "Ginny, you, uh…"

"George told Ron he was a girl! I'm not a girl! Ginevra Molly Weasley is _not_ a _girl_!" Ginny exclaimed loudly as Bill shut his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Ginny…" This was going to be a tough one to explain. Silently, Bill prayed for his mother's return, so _she_ would be able to deal with the explanation of this instead of him. Bill didn't have the experience to make Ginny understand that being a girl had nothing to do with how afraid you were of things. Bill's prayers for an early arrival from Mum wouldn't be answered, though. Molly was using floo which didn't operate under poor weather conditions.

He was, however, saved from offering an explanation as a new roar of thunder all but shook the old house. Ginny lost her defiant stance and threw her arms around Bill's neck, burying her head in his shirt.

"It's okay to be afraid." Bill whispered softly in Ginny's ear as he rubbed a slow circle on her back. "But thunder is just a loud noise. Like one of Mum's dinners exploding in the oven. Or one of the twins' experiments going wrong. It's noisy, but it won't hurt you Ginny Bear." Bill clutched his sister close to him as he talked.

Ginny's small body shook a bit as more thunder sounded. Bill assumed she was crying or too afraid to move. When her face popped out of his shirt, rid of tear marks and a bearing a very serious expression, Bill was a bit thrown off.

"Promise?" She whispered back, looking up at him with big eyes.

"Promise." Bill replied, offering a grin to his sister.

"I want Mummy." She admitted softly, looking down at her feet.

"She'll be home soon."

Ginny nodded her head and bit the inside of her mouth, her eyes still reflecting her fear of the thunderstorm. Bill sighed and reached his hands out for her. Gently he picked her up, although he noted that she was getting much too big to be carried. Knowing that Percy was entirely capable of watching over Ron for a few minutes, Bill clambered up the stairs with his sister.

Reaching her room, Bill put her down and ran one of his hands through her hair. He opened her door and nudged her inside, following close behind her. Carefully, as if to not make any more sound, he shut the door behind him, making sure it clicked so no one, namely the twins, would come barging in. Bill picked Ginny up once more and placed her on her bed.

"Why don't we read a book?" Bill asked his sister gently, hoping that a book would help distract her. If she forgot about the thunderstorm then she could relax. Bill hated the look of fear in his sister's eyes. Absolutely _hated_ it.

Ginny nodded slowly, a bit unsure of the idea herself. She allowed Bill to pick a book off of her bookshelf and sit down on the bed next to her. Bill took Ginny's sneakers off of her and tenderly wrapped a blanket around the two of them. Kissing her forehead, Bill smiled, and opened the book.

The minute Bill began talking, Ginny was lost in the story. Thoughts of thunder and lightning escaped her mind as her lids began to get heavy. Smiling down at her, Bill continued to read, even after he knew that she was sleeping.

It was there, in Ginny's room, laying against one another, where Molly Weasley found them when she came home. A soft smile spread on her face as she pulled the book away from her sleeping son's hands and kissed her two children on the top of their heads.

"Sweet dreams, my dears."

* * *

Please review. I'm rather pleased with how this one-shot came out, aside from Charlie Weasley. I never seem to get his characterization quite right. I jump from him being an intolerable sod to a patient love machine. Hmph. He's one confusing man. : ) 

Feedback from wonderful _readers like you_ would be very much appreciated.

I don't mind if you tell me 'Ew! That was horrible.' or 'Aw, I liked it.' Just a little note would be fantastic.

x Muriel


	2. Ron's Bad Day

**Disclaimer**: I still don't own a thing. I don't own the the characters, the plot, or the magic. If I had a mind as creative as that then I wouldn't be wasting my time writing fanfictions. Although, maybe the Weasley family could adopt me, yeah?!

**Author's Note**: What plot? Well, yes, it is rather plot-less. Please forgive that. It is, however, full of Weasley fluff. And we _all_ love those Weasleys. I've decided on writing a series of one-shots rather than a bunch of stand alones. It's much easier this way. I intend on hitting a bit of each character as the one-shots progress. However, most of them will be focused on the Weasleys, both new and old. If you have an idea for a fic that you've always wanted to see, please let me know. I _might_ just write it for you. With a dedication and all. : ) Haha. If not, I'll continue pulling fluffy goodness out of me until I'm fresh out. Don't be afraid to request a fic, my dears. I don't bite. Really. Now on with the show! Also, someone suggested I write a fic on Percy teaching Ron how to play Wizarding Chess. I'm working on it. ; )

* * *

**Ron's Bad Day**

_Sometimes being a brother is even better than being a superhero.  
_

"I hate you!"

Ron Weasley's face was contorted with rage and unshed tears, as he slammed the door on his brother. His feet stomped down the hall, vibrating the portraits hanging on the brightly decorated walls. His head spun as he thought of all the nasty things he wanted to do to Percy Weasley. If he wasn't his brother, Ron was sure he would have killed him. Or, at the very least, caused him some very intense bodily harm.

Before Ron had a chance to make it to the staircase, the door that was formally slammed into place opened wildly.

"You can't _hate_ me, Ronald!"

For perfect Percy, his appearance was quite uncharacteristic. His face was as red as a tomato and his hair stuck up in small tufts, as if he had just run his hand through it and grabbed at some in the process. Percy's jaw was clenched tightly, his teeth all but barred as he struggled to remain in control.

" Says who?!" Ron spat at the elder Weasley, his eyes narrowing dangerously.

For a second, Percy just stood there, his mind reeling for words. He tried to think of a valid answer, one that his eight year old brother would believe.

"Says... Says Mum! That's who!"

Percy nodded his head, seemingly pleased with his own answer. Ron's reaction, however, was not exactly what Percy had banked on. The minute the words were out of his mouth, Ron's face flexed itself into a smirk. His lip curled up and his eyes held a dangerous glint to them. Percy had seen that look before, when Ron was set on getting the twins into trouble. The look could only mean one thing.

"Ronald Weasley, don't you _dare_." Percy slammed his foot down on the carpet for emphasis, his stare focusing solely on Ron.

At that comment, Ron's smirk grew wider. He swiftly ducked away from Percy and hurried down the stairs. The minute he moved from his spot, Percy trailed after him.

"Mum! Mum!"

Percy cringed at Ron's boyish shrieks, knowing their mother would eat up the act his baby brother was sure to put on.

"Stop that! Stop that right now!"

Percy tried to hold some authority in his tone, just like Charlie and Bill, but it came out as more of a desperate plea. Percy _never_ got in trouble and he wasn't going to let his naïve younger brother get him in trouble with his _mother_.

Rounding the corner, Ron came to a screeching halt. He pointed an accusing finger in Percy's direction as his mother raised her eyebrows questioningly.

"What Ron?" Percy could tell that she was trying to hide her exasperation.

Ron wagged his finger at Percy repeatedly, but no words came out of his mouth.

"Oh for Merlin's sake, Ronald! I have a million things to do today. I don't have time for interruptions!"

The more their mother spoke, the more red she got in the face. Her hands found themselves firmly planted onto her hips, with one foot tapping at the ground. It was the classic stance for a Mum blowout, as the twins so fondly named it.

"But Mum!" Ron's voice cried through the kitchen, the words bouncing off of the pans and dishes.

Mrs. Weasley's only response was to cock an eyebrow at him.

"Percy's being a royal git! He won't let me in his room and he won't play chess with me! He told me to sod off! That's not very polite, is it Mum?"

Percy rolled his eyes at his brother's slight exaggeration. No, he didn't particularly want his brother to come barging in his room to come _play_ with him. After all, he was twelve now. He was entering his second year at Hogwarts. What did he want his little brother hanging around for? Besides, he had left Ron with the promises of playing Wizarding Chess _later_, a fact that he purposefully left out. Maybe it wasn't exactly the most pleasant thing to tell his brother to sod off, but Ron had spoken much worse than him, and Percy was _four_ years older than him! Really, he was just trying to get the little bugger off of his nerves.

"Percy Weasley, did you say that to your brother?" Mrs. Weasley's gaze was now steadily on Percy, as her eyes threw daggers at him.

"Er, well…" Percy really wasn't very good at lying, especially to his Mum. "Yes, I did."

Percy properly looked ashamed, his head bowed and the tips of his ears burning a bashful red.

"But he…" Percy felt childish and silly, stooping down to his brother's immature level. He just couldn't let his mother be disappointed in him. "He said a few _choice_ words to me."

Percy had the delicacy to refrain from repeating them. He noticed, with pleasure, that his mother's gaze went to Ron. She clucked her tongue in a disapproving manner and shook her head.

"Ronald, what have I told you about that mouth of yours? Keep your mouth clean, or I'll do it for you! Stop bothering your brother. I'm sure he's very busy doing his summer work for school. Why don't you go on up to your room and think about better vocabulary words you can use that aren't so offensive?"

Ron shrank back at his mother's scolding and he glared at Percy. Percy always got his way. Percy never got in trouble. Percy was so bloody _perfect_. It was positively sickening.

A pleased smile graced Percy's face as he walked past Ron into the kitchen.

"Did you need any help, Mum?"

"No. You're no better than him! It's no wonder he speaks such rotten words with the rest of you lot around."

Percy's face once again turned crimson and he nodded his head. "Sorry, Mum."

Mrs. Weasley shook her head and hugged her son. "Go on upstairs for a bit. And make sure you're brother finds his way to his room."

The last part was spoken more loudly than the rest, as she heard Ron's footsteps hurry up the stairs. Percy muttered an okay, and then followed his younger brother's lead.

--

Ron laid on his stomach, his head laying in the crook of his folded arm upstairs. He really did hate Percy, who always seemed to get his way, no matter what. He wondered, briefly, if it was possible to divorce a brother. Could he just get rid of him, like you could a husband or a wife? That only seemed fair, after all. It wasn't like Ron _picked_ Percy as his brother. No, if he could have picked someone as a replacement, he would pick someone just like Charlie. At least Charlie didn't try to get Ron in trouble.

He heard a knock on his door a few hours later, but he ignored it. If it was Percy coming to apologize, he didn't want to hear it. If it was Percy making sure he _made it to his room alright_, he was going to throw up. The last thing he needed was for Percy to try to enforce the rules on him, too. He already practically brainwashed Ginny to do as he said. Ron didn't need to be pulled into that as well.

The door creaked open slowly, and he noticed matching set of red heads enter his room.

"Some fight you had with Mum."

"Yeah, we heard her from up here."

"What did you do now, Ron?"

"Did Bill transfigure you're favorite teddy bear?"

"Did you tell on us for eating the rest of your chocolate frogs?"

"Did you tell on Ginny for coming into your room?"

"Do tell us!"

Ron threw a pillow in their direction, hoping it would wipe off the beaming smiles on his twin brothers' faces. It landed beside them on the floor, and they both broke off into laughter.

"Oh Fred, Fred! Ickle Ronniekins hurt me! Let's go tell Mum!"

"_Mum! Oh Mum! Evil Ronnie attacked me!_"

They both smiled wickedly at Ron, as he stood up and clenched his small fists to his side.

"Shut up!" He screeched at them, his fists shaking violently.

"Or what? You'll tell Mummy?" George snickered, thumping Fred on the back.

"Little Ronnie, no one likes a _tattle tale_."

"And you know what George?"

"What?"

"Seems to me no one likes a _crybaby_ either!"

They both gave one final laugh and headed out of the bedroom, leaving Ron alone. As soon as the twins left, Ron walked over to the door and gave it a good shove, so it hit the doorframe with enough force to make a slam. Angry tears again welled up in Ron's eyes as he leaned against his door.

What did Fred and George know anyways? They were always in trouble for something or another. What right did they have to make fun of him for rearing Mum's temper?

Ron hesitantly opened the door to his room, to make sure his mother was out of sight. He slipped out of his door and headed down the hall, to Bill's room. Bill never treated him like he was a burden. He never treated him like he was a little kid either.

With more confidence than he felt, Ron knocked on Bill's door. After all, Bill usually came to him, not the other way around. Biting on his bottom lip, Ron waited for the rustle and the faint sound of footsteps.

The door opened and Bill stood there, looking a bit surprised.

"Hey Ron…" He said slowly, his door wedged open enough for his body only.

"Bill!" Ron offered a small smile and tried to step inside the eldest Weasley's room.

"Uh, Ron… Now isn't really a good time. Can it wait a bit?"

Ron frowned and shrugged his shoulders, backing off slightly. "Yeah… I guess…"

Bill smiled at him and re-entered the room, shutting it tight behind him. Ron waited a minute, listening inside. He heard Bill apologize to someone, saying it was just his little brother coming to bother him. 'No big deal…' Ron's face crumpled at that, and he walked away. He heard a female giggle and felt even more hurt. If Bill could entertain a lady friend, why couldn't he hang out with his brother? That wasn't fair.

With a sigh, Ron headed down the stairs. His head was down and he looked defeated. Ron was in such a state that he hadn't noticed his father climbing up the stairs. Arthur, just coming home from work had a pile of Muggle appliances stacked in his arms. His vision was so obscured with the various interesting-looking objects, that he didn't know he ran into his son until everything scattered onto the floor.

"Oh, Merlin's Beard Ron! Can't you stay out of the way?!" Arthur agitatedly resigned himself to running after the objects rolling down the stairs.

Ron muttered an apology before heading into the living room. That's all he was lately. He was either in the way, or a burden. Not even _Bill_ wanted to hang out with him, and Bill was usually the nicest out of the lot. Ron wasn't needed in this family. No one cared about him at all. His mother certainly made that clear, when she sided with Percy, instead of him. She hadn't even given Ron the chance to hear him out, before jumping down his throat.

Ron plopped himself down on the couch, his face splotchy, as it usually got when he was upset. Ginny noticed her brother right away, and came over to him.

"Ron! You sat on _Harry_!" She screeched, placing a hand on each side of her face in horror.

"I sat on who?" Ron asked with confusion, standing up immediately.

"Harry _Potter_, Ron." Ginny spoke slowly as if she was talking to someone who was stupid. She shook her head back and forth angrily. "If you're just going to hurt my friends, then you'll just have to leave!"

Ron shoved his hands into his pant's pocket and walked away.

"Fine." He headed straight out of the living room, through the kitchen, and straight out the door. If no one wanted him around, then he would leave. He would just run away and the lot of them could live on happily ever after. Never again would they have to deal with Ron. The Burrow would be a much better place without his existence, as his family made perfectly clear.

He walked all the way down the street, climbing the small hills and breathing heavy as tears blurred his vision. Who needed a family anyways? Ron would be able to handle it on his own. He would never have to share again, or put up with any pranks from the twins. He would never have to worry about playing Wizarding Chess with Percy, because he'd be by himself from now on. You can't play Wizarding Chess with no partner. Bill wouldn't have to worry about Ron _bothering_ him, and his dad wouldn't have to worry about him staying out of the way. At least if he was on his own, Ginny's stupid bloody imaginary friends wouldn't _die_ because of him. Everything would just be much better without Ron to muck things up.

Finding a bench on the side of the road, Ron sat down. He drew his knees up to his chest and hugged them tightly. Of course, having no family also meant that he would never get a bear hug from Mum, or a kiss on the nose from Dad. It meant that he wouldn't get to play along with Fred and George's stupid pranks when they pulled them on Ginny. He wouldn't be able to beat Percy at Wizarding Chess, or learn how to fly from Bill. Most importantly, he wouldn't be able to see Charlie again.

The thoughts that accumulated in his head, racked his small body with sobs. He placed his head on his knees and cried. He didn't know how long he was crying, or how late it was, when someone placed their hand on his shoulder.

"Ron?"

At the sound of his name, Ron slowly lifted his head. His eyes met those of his favorite brother, Charlie Weasley.

"What are you doing out here, Bud?"

Charlie sat down next to him, placing an arm around his shoulders. He gently squeezed the back of Ron's neck before pulling his youngest brother to him.

"I'm… I'm running away from… home."

"You are, eh?" Charlie asked, looking his brother in the eyes.

"Y-yes."

Ron suddenly pulled away from Charlie's embrace and stood up.

"No… You can't hang around with me anymore! I'm… I'm no longer a Weasley!"

Charlie stood up as well, and placed a hand under his own chin, thinking for a minute.

"Are you sure about that, Ron? Because you certainly look like a Weasley to me."

"Well… Well I'm not!" Tears still ran down Ron's cheeks, but his crying had died down drastically.

"What's wrong with being a Weasley?"

"There's too many of us, Charlie. You guys don't need me."

At that, Charlie scoffed and shook his head.

"You really believe that, Ron?" At Ron's hesitant nod, Charlie laughed softly. He kneeled on the ground and grabbed Ron's hand.

"If you run away, who will I share my dragon collection with? Who will Bill play Quidditch with? How will the twins ever get caught when they try their experiments? Who will protect Ginny from Fred and George? And who will beat Percy at chess to make sure that git's ego doesn't explode? Hmm, Bud?"

Ron smiled slightly, but quickly let it fade. "No! Mum and Dad don't want me. I'm in the way."

"Oh, really? Then why does Mum save an _extra_ cookie for you, every time she makes a batch? How come she lets _you_ lick the spoon? Actually, Ron, I think she quite favors you. I'm envious, really. She never baked any extra goodies for me! And Dad? Who would he show his toys to? We're all bored with them by now. But you, he likes showing them to you. They fascinate you almost as much as they do him. That interest is special between you and Dad."

Ron shrugged his shoulders as Charlie squeezed his hand.

"Besides…" Charlie's serious expression soon changed into an easy grin. "I don't think you'd get away saying you weren't a Weasley, kiddo." He ruffled Ron's hair as he stood up. "I mean, with the obnoxious bunch of red hair and freckles we all have, I don't think anyone would mistake you. You can't let go of us that easily."

Ron smiled, and sighed. Maybe, just maybe, Charlie was right. Besides, Ron didn't really want to run away from home. Who would love him if he did? No one.

"C'mon Bud, let's go home."

Taking Charlie's extended hand, Ron realized that there wasn't any place like The Burrow, no place quite like _home_.

* * *

Please review. Please?

Feedback from wonderful _readers like you_ would be very much appreciated.

I don't mind if you tell me 'Ew! That was horrible.' or 'Aw, I liked it.' Just a little note would be fantastic.

And I am sorry I haven't updated this as often as I should have. But I have multiple one-shots going for THE BURROW. I just have to work on pulling them together and finishing them.

- Muriel


	3. A Forever Thing

**Disclaimer**: I still don't own a thing. I don't own the the characters, the plot, or the magic. If I had a mind as creative as that then I wouldn't be wasting my time writing fanfictions. Although, maybe the Weasley family could adopt me, yeah?!

**Author's Note**: What plot? Well, yes, it is rather plot-less. Please forgive that. It is, however, full of Weasley fluff. And we _all_ love those Weasleys. I've decided on writing a series of one-shots rather than a bunch of stand alones. It's much easier this way. I intend on hitting a bit of each character as the one-shots progress. However, most of them will be focused on the Weasleys, both new and old. If you have an idea for a fic that you've always wanted to see, please let me know. I _might_ just write it for you. With a dedication and all. : ) Haha. If not, I'll continue pulling fluffy goodness out of me until I'm fresh out. Don't be afraid to request a fic, my dears. I don't bite. Really. Now on with the show!

* * *

**A Forever Thing**

_Don't be dismayed by good-byes. A farewell is necessary before you can meet again. And meeting again after moments or a lifetime is certain for those who are friends_

The rain fell in buckets outside of The Burrow. It had started drizzling late the night before and built up to a steady downpour. On most rainy days, Ginny hated having to stay cooped up inside. Today she was glad for the rain. It fit her mood and the occasion perfectly.

Today was the last day she would have any siblings for awhile. Sure, she had gotten used to saying goodbyes. It was only a matter of time before her last brother would abandon her and go to Hogwarts with the others. She was expecting it, anticipating it, since the first day at Platform 9 ¾, where she said goodbye to Bill for the first time. Ginny Weasley just hadn't imagined it would be quite this hard.

Of course, Ron was her favorite brother, even though she would never admit it. It was wrong to have favorites, even Ginny knew that, especially when it came down to your own bloodline. But Ginny had been stuck with Ron since the day she came into the world. Bill had Charlie, Fred had George, Percy had Mum and Ginny had Ron. That was just the way the Weasley clan worked.

Ron would never openly confess it, but he played with Ginny a lot. From house to tea party, Ron had pulled through for Ginny when she needed him the most. Sure, he was an insufferable prat at times, but he was still her brother. Ginny's _favorite_ brother. And currently she wasn't so sure she was ready to let him go.

Ginny had attempted to speak with Ron the night before. She knocked on his door and he rambled on about how great Hogwarts was going to be. "Can you imagine I'm actually going, Gin?" and "Hogwarts… Imagine that!" were the only phrases he kept muttering, over and over again. Ginny just didn't have the heart to voice her own selfish insecurities. Ron was happy. Even if she was miserable, she was still a bit happy for Ron too.

Now time was running out. Tomorrow all of her remaining brothers would jump onto the Hogwarts Express and she would be stuck with Mum and Dad. The thought was anything but charming. This time not only would Ginny lose a brother, but a good friend as well.

Today, Mrs. Weasley announced previously, would be dedicated to packing. Ginny would sit around and wait until one of her brothers hollered they needed help. Then she would go bouncing up the stairs, eager to come to their aid. Because helping them pack meant that she was part of the Hogwarts festivities, almost likes she was really going herself. But who was she kidding? Ginny would have nothing more to look forward to than a nice nine months helping dear old Mum.

The more time that passed, the more Ginny's anxiety over the Hogwarts departure increased. The words she wanted to say to her youngest brother would get all messed up in her head. Ginny was not a very emotional girl, unless, of course, she was angered. She had no idea how to tell Ron what she wanted to without sounding overly sentimental, and _girly_.

"All packed! I win!"

Fred's voice broke through the room, instantly pulling Ginny out of her reverie. Fred took the seat next to her, on the well worn sofa. His arm snaked around the back, loosely hanging around Ginny's shoulders as he wore a triumphant smile.

"Oi, Ginny! Are you going to miss me?" Fred's smile turned into one that was sickly sweet as he fluttered his eyelashes a bit. It was like this every single year since the twins left. It kept Ginny from crying over their absence.

"You wish…" Ginny stuck her tongue out at him and quickly looked the other way, trying to hide the evident apprehension on her face.

"Ronniekins is almost all grown up! Ginnybear, you're almost ancient! I remember when you were a wee little crawling bundle!" A mock look of nostalgia passed over Fred's face as he did his best interpretation of Auntie Muriel.

"Ha. Ha."

What Ginny really wanted to do was run up the stairs and tell Ron that he couldn't leave her! Not for a whole school year all by herself! What would she do with all of her time? Who would she play Exploding Snap with? Certainly not anyone in the nearby neighborhoods, who thought their family was absolutely insane. She would be a loner trapped inside the Burrow for far too long. The only slight reprieve, the only thing she could truly look forward to, was the Christmas break. That is, if her brother even decided to come home! Ginny was afraid that once Ron got a good taste of Hogwarts, he would never want to leave! He would surely make his own new friends, and it would change their relationship forever.

"Ah, c'mon now Gin. No time for pouting when we've got such a busy day!"

With that, Fred abruptly stood up, petting Ginny on the head condescendingly, infuriating the smallest redhead even more. She was always the baby, the girl, the one that they had to be careful of and watch over. The only good thing was, previously Ginny hadn't been alone. Ron was also the baby, the youngest son, the one who had an irrational temper and had to be looked over closely. Apparently that wasn't the case anymore, as everyone seemed to deem him a man, now that he was shipping off to Hogwarts.

Ginny stood up herself, following in Fred's wake back up the rickety staircase. She passed Percy's room, leaning her ear closer to the door to hear his muffled words.

"Thirty house points from Slytherin for that prank!"

A long pause followed as Ginny's eyebrows rose in confusion.

"Excuse me, I believe this is the Restricted Section for a reason!"

After hearing a frustrated sigh coming from behind the closed door, Ginny grew a bit concerned over her older brother's sanity.

"No, no. Not firm enough!" Came Percy's angry voice, berating himself.

"Is Percy playing Prefect again?"

Ginny's head whipped around, her face burning red as she was caught eavesdropping on Percy, coming face to face with Fred's counterpart.

"You think that's what he's doing?" Ginny's whisper carried some surprise to it, as she cocked her head in George's direction.

"Definitely! Ever since he got that badge he's been a terror. That wand up his arse is stuck even higher!"

Ginny muffled a laugh and rolled her eyes, slowly backing away from the door before Percy realized she was there.

"Lucky you get a break from him!"

George gave Ginny a meaningful look as he turned the corner to go up another flight of stairs, a tangle of clothes carried in his arms.

A sigh escaped Ginny as she headed over to Ron's shut door, knocking on it briefly before opening it. Ginny knew the minute she flung the door open, with Ron's back to her, that something wasn't quite right. Hesitantly, she shut he door behind her firmly, startling her brother enough to cause him to jump off of his bed.

Ginny took in Ron's red eyes and blotchy cheeks immediately. Ron's fists flew to his side, clenched, the anger evident and radiating off of him.

"Just what gives you the right to came barging in my room like that!"

If Ginny had had her doubts before, the cracking in his hoarse voice gave it away completely. Ginny didn't say anything, just looked down at the floor a bit nervously. Out of all the things they had been through together, Ginny had never witnessed her brother _crying_. At least, not true tears that were full of emotions.

"Why are you sad?"

"Ginny, just get out, will you?! Get lost!"

Ron pointed at the door, swinging his arms madly in his honest attempt to make her leave.

"Get lost, huh? Is this what it's going to be like now? You go off to bloody Hogwarts and think you're too good for me? Well I'll have you know Ron Weasley that it was _me_ who taught you almost everything you know!" In her rage, Ginny stomped her foot childishly, her true ten year old behaviors coming out at the unfairness of it all.

"You don't have the _right_ to come in here, yelling at me -"

"No, you don't have the right to leave me here all by myself!"

Ron immediately stopped, as he noticed Ginny was near tears. It took him by surprise, a shock, almost, that his little sister was practically crying. The last time he had witnessed her tears was when she was four or five, a very long time ago to an eleven year old.

Embarrassed by her show of emotions, Ginny tilted her head down towards the carpet, avoiding Ron's eyes at all costs.

"You should be happy to be going. Not crying about it."

"Yeah, well it's scary, alright?"

Ron drew in a deep breath and collapsed onto his bed.

"If I'm not sorted into Gryffindor, I'll be disowned. I'll have to make all new friends. I'll have to actually _be _a wizard. Merlin, what if I'm not meant to be one?"

Ginny strode over to him and rolled her eyes, slumping herself down beside him.

"That's rubbish. You're a _Weasley_. Of course you'll be sorted into Gryffindor. You're meant to be a wizard."

She intentionally left out the friends bit, as that was the part Ginny was worried about the most, herself. Ron finding new friends and completely snubbing her would be one of the worst things in the whole world.

"I don't know, Gin…"

"Well I do!" Ginny said firmly, her eyes narrowing at her brother. "And if you don't manage to find any friends, I'll always be here."

At that, Ron did something Ginny hadn't expected. He flung his arms around her and hugged her hard, nearly suffocating her with the strength of it.

"Ginny, we'll always be friends. Is that's what had you all in a mood all month? We're _siblings_. I couldn't break away from you even if I tried."

Ron gave his sister a small smile, one that was oddly comforting, considering who it came from.

"And you'll write to me, Ron?"

"I swear I will."

"Every day?"

"Well, I wouldn't go that far."

"Once a week?"

"If you're lucky."

A scoff followed his reply, and Ginny punched Ron lightly in the arm.

"I'll miss you."

"Gin, I'll miss you too."

"Don't forget about me suffering here all year!" Ginny flashed him a smile, her mind more at ease.

"You'd never let me." Looking around his room, Ron eyed Ginny and sighed. "You don't think you'd want to help me pack, huh?"

Groaning, Ginny hopped off of Ron's bed and grabbed Ron's trunk.

"Well, somebody has to do it!"

Together, the two siblings laughed and filled Ron's trunk with everything he would need for the school year. There was no doubt that Ginny and Ron's relationship would change over the years. But he was still her brother, and brothers were a forever thing.

* * *

Please read and review.

Feedback from wonderful _readers like you_ would be very much appreciated.

I don't mind if you tell me 'Ew! That was horrible.' or 'Aw, I liked it.' Just a little note would be fantastic.

And I am sorry I haven't updated this as often as I should have. But I have multiple one-shots going for THE BURROW. I just have to work on pulling them together and finishing them.

There hasn't been much interest in these one-shots. But we'll see how it goes.

- Mur


End file.
